The Top Secret Drone Company Hiding In Plain Sight | Justin Call, Modovolo

About this episode

Justin Call discusses building Modovolo, a drone company in a small community, focusing on real-world solutions and patient growth.

What if one of the most interesting startups in New York is being built quietly in a barn in Vernon? In this episode of Rust Belt Startup , I sit down with Justin Call , founder and CEO of Modovolo , a company designing a new kind of drone — and doing it far from the typical startup scene. Instead of chasing hype or venture capital headlines, Justin and his team have been focused on something much harder: patiently building a real company, solving real problems, and learning what it takes to bring a complex idea to life. In our conversation, Justin shares the story behind Modovolo — how the company got started, why they chose a very different approach to designing drones, and what it’s like to build a startup in a small community in Upstate New York. We also talk about some of the lessons entrepreneurs can take from his journey, including: • Why staying focused matters more than trying to grow too fast • What it’s really like to build a product that has to work in the real world • The importance of patience when you’re building something new • Why great companies can be built outside Silicon Valley • And how small teams can quietly do big things This episode is a…

People in this episode

Host: Rust Belt Startup

Guest: Justin Call

Topics covered

• drones
• startups
• entrepreneurship
• innovation
• small business
• patience
• real-world product development

Keywords

• drone company
• Modovolo
• entrepreneurship
• startup culture
• real-world problems
• innovation
• Upstate New York
• Silicon Valley

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Modovolo

Places: Vernon, Upstate New York, Silicon Valley